Gentleman Sinner by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Romance at a Glance is a podcast where hosts Bridget and Shani review romance novels and interview some of romance’s biggest authors diving into candid conversations about life, relationships, and sexual desires. Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor. Leave us a rating and review on iTunes.
Full transcript available below.
Book Review at a Glance
Heroine Rating: Izzy
Shani: 🍑
Bridget: 🍑
Hero Rating: Theo
Shani: 🍆
Bridget: 🍆
McDreamy to Mc Steamy:
Shani: BDSM abuse
Bridget: I guess he’s supposed to be McSteamy? - I thought he was McDreary.
Classy to Nasty:
Vanilla. Because aside from the fact that he ties her up, their sex is very vanilla. And he’s not tying her up for kink, just for her “safety”. Which is written very rape-y and abusive.
Romance at a Glance Reviews Gentleman Sinner by Jodi Ellen Malpas
We cannot even with this book! Gentleman Sinner is the first book we have reviewed that we detested! AND OUR CRITIQUE IS SO FUNNY. There is nothing quite like complete confusion about a plot and wtf is happening in the story to really make a hilarious review shine.
Note: this book has triggering topics including domestic violence, rape, assault, and murder. We talk about these topics during this review.
On Romance at a Glance we discuss and review all genres of romance novels, as well as get into the nitty-gritty of real-life romance, relationships, and sex... while cracking each other up. Expect some spontaneous singing, funny anecdotes, honest reviews, and naughty language.
Quick Guide Review of the Book and Notes
Book Title: Gentleman Sinner
Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
Audio Narrator: Julie Garthan & Jack George
Part of a Series: Yes, This Man series
Genre: Contemporary Romance, set in London (though this wasn’t at first apparent or relevant)
Synopsis: Izzy White knows of the darkness in this world. After all, she escaped it long ago. Determined not to let her past beat her, Izzy has a secure, stable life with a job she loves in nursing. But one act of kindness will completely upend everything she's so carefully built-putting her right back in the crosshairs of danger she's been so desperate to avoid.
When Theo Kane shows up like a knight in shining armor, Izzy can't help thinking she's been saved from one threat and exposed to another. His imposing physique, the harsh lines of his face, and the wariness of everyone who comes close are just a few clues to Theo Kane's notorious reputation. The man is positively terrifying. But with Izzy, he's tender and a complete gentleman and her fascination with the mysterious beast of a man becomes too powerful for her to walk away.
As Theo's demons come to light, running becomes even more impossible. And yet staying together could doom them both.
Heroine Rating: Izzy
Shani: 🍑 - She was dumb and jumpy. If I could give zero peaches I would.
Bridget: 🍑- Shani said it best.
Hero Rating: Theo
Shani: 🍆 - RAPEY.
Bridget: 🍆- Can we give out negative eggplants?
McDreamy to Mc Steamy:
Shani: BDSM abuse
Bridget: I guess he’s supposed to be McSteamy? - I thought he was McDreary.
Classy to Nasty:
Vanilla. Because aside from the fact that he ties her up, their sex is very vanilla. And he’s not tying her up for kink, just for her “safety”. Which is written very rape-y and abusive.
Favorite Line in the Book:
Shani: DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK.
“treat you like queen and a whore in the bed.” (Note: repeated sooo many times in the book)
Bridget: Ugh. I didn’t like the book at all. Example of his aggressively controlling and abusive “love”.
“There aren’t many things in this world that I desire, Izzy. It’s a short list, and therefore I have plenty of time to dedicate to each item on it. You are now at the very top.” - Theo
Favorite Review:
Shani’s from Audible: 2 stars.
Gentleman sinner not soo....😞
I would like to start with that I love this author. I have listened to and read almost all her books. This book was very disappointed to me. Izzy White is 90% of the book and only 10% Theo Kane. Too much of her and not enough of Theo. Over 15 hours and I could barely finished it. I think if they did in half the time to get to the point. To much of saying the same things over and over again. To predictable. Guess the whole story before it ended. Not like the other books where it has you wanting more. For me I just wanted it to end. 😔
Bridget’s from Goodreads: Sophia Triad rated it 3 stars
I loved the beginning of the book. There is mystery around Izzy and Theo. Theo is an interesting stalker (my favourite kind). One night he saves Izzy from a dark alley after she has defended a young hooker.
After that Theo seems obsessed with Izzy. He follows her to her work, he follows her at Las Vegas where she went for holidays.
He keeps saving her and following her around. He demands dinner with her. And her time. At some point, Izzy will take her chances and will have a fling with him in Las Vegas. But then they will need to go back to their everyday life in London.
And then the story of Theo and Izzy becomes messy. Out of control and full of unnecessary drama. Which I normally don’t mind...but in this case I did not find Theo likable at all.
Theo does one stupid thing after the other:
-He makes Izzy lose her job
-He makes her look guilty in front of her work colleagues as he creates the worst possible scene
-Invite her rapist to his club
-Punch her on the face, by mistake... but still...
-After she falls unconscious on the ground, instead of looking after her and of apologising to her, he goes and cold-bloodily kills the man that she was trying to stop him from killing in the first place.
-Then he disappears.
-Instead of grovelling back to her, she looks for him like a mad woman.
-He never tried to make Izzy feel better. He only tried selfishly to punish himself.
Cover Art:
Shani: Bird cage. Cause he cages her up?
Bridget: From the cover art, I thought this was going to be a book filled with S&M or bondage or a controlling man who takes over her life. But did not really get an idea of what the book was really going to be about. Not sure I would have picked it off the shelf.
Worth the Read?
Shani: NO!
Bridget: HELLS NO!
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Full Podcast Transcript
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Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.
As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance’s biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboo in order to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.
Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.
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